If you decided to become a follower of Jesus, what should happen next? Is it more important that you should apply yourself to studying everything you can about the Christian faith so that you come to know everything that there is to know, or is it more important that you do the things that Jesus told his followers to do, so that you act more like Jesus? To put the question another way, who is a more mature follower of Jesus: the person who knows the Bible better, or the person who lives in a more Christ-like manner?Paul’s Letter to Titus — Chapter 2

2:1 You should say only things which are consistent with correct teaching. 2:2 Teach older men to be self-controlled, respectable, considerate and correct in faith, in love, and in patience. 2:3 Similarly, teach older women to live in a godly manner, not as faultfinders or slaves to drink, but teaching others what is good. 2:4 They should train young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 2:5 and to be considerate, pure, taking care of their home, kind, and submissive to their husbands, so that God’s word will not be discredited. 2:6 Similarly, encourage younger men to be considerate 2:7 in everything. Be an example for them of how to do the right thing. In your teaching demonstrate integrity and dignity, 2:8 using impeccably correct words, so that anyone who opposes you will be too embarrassed to say anything bad about us. 2:9 Teach slaves to be submissive to their masters, trying to please them, not arguing with them, 2:10 not misappropriating their goods, but demonstrating proper fidelity, so that they will be a credit to the teaching of God, our Saviour, in all respects.

2:11 The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, 2:12 teaching us to reject ungodliness and worldly pleasures, and to live considerately, righteously and in a godly manner in this present world, 2:13 in expectation of the blessed hope and appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, 2:14 who gave himself for us, to rescue us from everything that is evil, to wash us clean and claim us as people who belong to him, enthusiastic about doing what is right. 2:15 Teach these things and encourage and correct people in an authoritative manner. Do not allow anyone to disregard you.

[…] the New Testament tells us that salvation comes before godliness rather than after it. In the second chapter of his letter to Titus, Paul says: The grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people, teaching us to reject […]